* * *
AN HOUR LATER, Reese stopped Nate in the kitchen on his way out.
“You have a minute?” she asked.
“Absolutely.”
While helping Theo shower, Nate had decided to stop by the Poco Dinero before Sam’s afternoon practice. With Ronnie, staying in Mustang Valley, and earning more money being his three new priorities, he had an idea or two to bounce off Bess for ways to expand on the rodeo events. She wouldn’t arrive at the bar for another few hours, which gave him plenty of time for Reese.
“Can I get you a cup of coffee?” she asked, already reaching for a mug from the stack by the coffee maker.
“No, thanks. But help yourself. I’ve had my limit of caffeine for the morning.”
“Oh. Okay.” Reese hesitated, appearing uncertain of her next move. After a moment, she gestured toward the table. “What’s Dad up to?”
“Sitting in the courtyard, reading the paper.”
Nate joined her at the table. Flora had made herself scarce after their breakfast. When he added that to Reese suddenly wanting to talk to him, her being upset about Theo’s fall and obvious nervousness, he felt convinced something was wrong. But what?
“Should Dad be out there alone?” Reese glanced toward the front of the house as if she could see through walls.
“He’s not smoking a cigar. I swear.”
Her smile was weak. Nate’s stomach tightened.
“He has his cell phone with him. And I made sure he took his emergency alert. It’s on the side table.”
Reese nodded approvingly. “That’s good.”
Theo refused to wear the remote alert device around his neck, but with a little arm twisting, he could be convinced to keep it handy.
Nate was about to add there wasn’t much trouble for Theo to get into while reading the paper, but changed his mind. Hadn’t Theo snuck off yesterday and hijacked the tractor when no one was looking?
“You know what a great job I think you’re doing with Dad.” Reese spoke with a measured tone.
“I enjoy working with him, and I mean it.”
“After yesterday, I’m concerned that a caregiver ten or fifteen hours a week just isn’t enough. He needs someone twenty-four/seven. Someone with more qualifications.”
Nate’s apprehension increased.
“I realize when I hired you I said it didn’t matter that you weren’t accredited. Unfortunately, I’m starting to wonder if I made a mistake.”
“I see.”
Reese continued talking. What Nate heard was her telling him in the kindest way possible that he was being let go, and his spirits, so high an hour ago, promptly sank. He should have known the job here was too good to last. Fate had been giving him swift kicks for too long to start giving him a boost.
“I can stay until you find a replacement,” he said quietly.
“Dad probably won’t like it. He’s grown quite fond of you. Me, too.”
“No, ma’am, he won’t.”
She rested her folded hands on the table. “I’d hire you full-time, if you were available and if you were a nurse.”
“Right.”
“His condition is only going to worsen.”
“I understand.”
She blinked, and Nate saw tears in her eyes. “It’s so hard, seeing him lose his abilities little by little every day. You can’t imagine.”
“Actually, I can.”
“Of course. Your brother. I apologize for insulting you. That just slipped out. I’ve been an emotional wreck since he fell. It could have been so much worse. What if he develops a blood clot?”
“You have to do what’s best for your father.”
Nate heard himself uttering all the right words, the words Reese wanted to and needed to hear. With each one, his spirits continued to sink. What would he tell Ronnie? Hadn’t he just bragged to her last night how he was starting to get his life together? And now this.
Fortunately, he still had his job at the Poco Dinero. And he’d need that, too, as he’d likely be looking for another place to park his trailer and accommodations for Breeze. Reese had no reason to let him stay at The Small Change if he wasn’t earning his keep.
Ronnie had an empty stall at her house. She loved Breeze and would gladly board the horse. Nate dismissed that idea the second after it occurred to him. He and Ronnie weren’t there yet in their relationship, though she’d probably offer once she learned he’d lost his job.
When Reese finally wound down, Nate assured her not to worry, and he’d do whatever she needed of him to accomplish a smooth transition.
“I’m calling a nursing service first thing tomorrow,” she said. “The concierge doctor may have a recommendation. That really was a great suggestion you made, Nate.”
Not that great, apparently, or he’d still be employed.
He stumbled from the kitchen in a daze. With time to kill before he drove to the Poco Dinero, he fetched Breeze from the pasture, gave her a good brushing and worked her briefly in the round pen for a little exercise.
On any other day, he’d have enjoyed the beautiful, cool weather and putting the old mare through her paces. Instead, he struggled to stay positive.
Perhaps he should stop by the market on his way to the bar. On a previous visit he’d noticed a bulletin board with various postings, including jobs. It was worth checking out.
When he was done exercising Breeze, he walked her twice around the grounds to cool her down before returning her to the pasture. He didn’t bother calling the bar to make sure Bess was there, choosing instead to take his chances. On impulse, he purchased a dozen breakfast pastries at the market, telling himself he might need help softening up Bess.
Besides running his idea for bull riding lessons by her, he intended to press her for more details on how much money the rodeo events had made. Her vague remark from Friday night bothered him. More now, in the wake of his talk with Reese.
His timing couldn’t be better. Bess was in the office tallying the previous night’s proceeds with her assistant manager, Elena, when he arrived.
The door was open, but he knocked on the wooden jamb to get their attention. “Morning, boss. Elena. How goes it? Am I interrupting?”
Both of them glanced up, and Bess broke into a wide grin. “Morning to you, too. What brings you here on your day off? Figured you’d be home resting up. You certainly worked hard enough.”
“I could say the same about you two.” He stepped inside and held out the box of pastries. “Have you eaten yet?”
Bess’s eyes gleamed like those of a small child. “Is that a bribe?”
“Of course not.”
Bess and Elena exchanged conspiratorial glances. “What do you want, Nate?” Humor filled Bess’s voice as she took the box and lifted the lid.
He waited until both women had oohed and aahed over the contents and made their selections.
“I was wondering how successful our first weekend was.”
“You saw yourself the stands were well over ninety-percent capacity both nights and eighty-percent for Saturday afternoon’s barrel racing.” She wiped powdered sugar off her mouth with a napkin. “You know entries for the rodeo events were enough to cover expenses because I told you that already.”
He reached for an apple turnover, wishing she’d be more specific. “Wouldn’t the stands filled to a hundred-percent capacity and more entries be better?”
“Well, sure. But people stuck around for drinks, and the bar made money hand over fist. Just what I wanted.”
Not, however, the rodeo events. They’d only broken even.
Bess had mentioned the possibility of a future bonus for Nate when she hired him. He doubted that would come out of bar proceeds.
She must have read something on his face for she said, “Be patient, Nate. Every new venture takes time to tu
rn a profit. There are a lot of costs besides labor and rental of the bulls. Insurance premiums alone are enough to break me. And the monthly payments on my small business loan to construct the arena take a huge chunk out of my revenues.”
“Guess I hadn’t thought about that.”
“Your job’s safe as long as we fill the stands and have enough participants,” she assured him.
Safe. That was a relief. But the job was only part-time and with no bonus or benefits. Not for a while, anyway. Nate needed something more if he hoped to make a decent living.
“Hey, you okay?”
Bess’s question penetrated the fog surrounding him. “Yeah. Just thinking, have you ever considered bull riding lessons?” He told her about a place in Texas he’d visited once that offered lessons to novices.
“Huh. Interesting. Might be something we can consider down the road.”
Down the road didn’t help Nate with his current employment problem.
“By the way,” Bess said, “did Ronnie ever find you last night? She was asking around for you.”
“She did.” He ignored the twinkles in Bess’s and Elena’s eyes. “We’re going to put our heads together and come up with ways to get more participants.”
“Aren’t you two being proactive? I love it.”
They chatted a while longer. Nate tried to hide his disappointment—this had been the first weekend after all. Bess might be singing an entirely different tune if future weekends were equally, or more, successful. She was simply exercising caution and not getting carried away. He respected her for that.
“You want to take these with you?” She held out the box of remaining pastries when he said he was leaving.
“Naw. You keep them.”
“I’ll get fat as a house.”
He thought that unlikely. She didn’t top five feet or weigh over ninety-five pounds.
“See you tomorrow, Bess. Elena.”
“Make it Tuesday,” Bess said. “If there’s any reason for you to be here before then, I’ll call.”
That left Nate without work for a full two days, other than helping with Theo while waiting for the new nurse to start. And Reese didn’t pay him for that. His wages were board for him and Breeze.
Outside, bright sunshine greeted him from a brilliant blue sky. His spirits, unfortunately, continued to linger somewhere around his knees. He couldn’t knock the feeling he was right back where he’d been when he arrived in town, broke and with limited prospects. While not entirely true, he couldn’t convince himself otherwise.
If not for Ronnie, and them spending last night together, he’d consider moving on. Then again, he really didn’t know where the two of them stood, other than that they’d be having a dinner date on Tuesday involving hand-holding and conversation. What if he broadened his job search and looked for work outside Mustang Valley? He might have to—there’d been nothing but pet sitting, being a teacher’s aide for the local preschool and housecleaning jobs posted on the market bulletin board.
Nate still didn’t have a solid plan in place when he arrived at Powell Ranch for Sam’s practice. Ronnie and Sam were already there. He spotted Ronnie standing by her truck, her phone glued to her ear. She gave him a quick wave and then went right back to her call. Sam was leisurely circling the arena on Big John, getting him to use the injured leg without putting a strain on it.
Spotting him, she walked the horse over to the fence where he stood. “You are coming with us to Las Vegas this weekend, aren’t you?”
They were leaving Wednesday and staying through till Monday. Longer if Sam did well and advanced.
“I don’t know, kiddo,” Nate said. “There’s the bull riding events.”
“But you can get the time off, right? Someone will cover for you.”
“It’s only the second week. I hate leaving Bess without a manager this soon. That’s a lot for her to handle.”
Both of his employers had indicated they’d work around his schedule if Sam qualified for Nationals. In the wake of his declining prospects, however, he was less inclined to force the issue. Though, if Reese found an immediate replacement for him, that job might not be a conflict.
“Don’t get your hopes up, Sam. I do have a responsibility.” Even if he did find full-time employment elsewhere, he hoped to keep working for Bess on the weekends.
“Nate,” Sam whined, “you promised.”
“I said I’d try. And, besides, someone has to cover for Ronnie at Saturday’s barrel racing.” He could definitely use the extra hours of paid work.
“I can’t win without you.”
The chances of her winning her very first time competing at Nationals was unlikely—she’d be up against considerably more experienced riders. But he didn’t tell her that. She deserved to dream big. He had once, when he’d first competed. And for a while he’d seen those dreams materialize.
What had really happened to him? Brought him to the place he was today, miles below where he’d started? Had Ronnie taken his drive with her when she left, or had Nate thrown it away?
He wasn’t a quitter. At least, he hadn’t been. He’d fought for his championship wins and climbed the ranks by paying his dues. Then, all of a sudden, he’d let everything that mattered to him go, starting with Ronnie and his career.
Why? Had he allowed her lack of faith in their relationship to make him lose faith in himself? Were all the other excuses—his injury, his best friend moving—just that? Excuses?
Nate’s head started to hurt. He couldn’t help wondering what Ronnie would she say when she learned Reese was replacing him with a full-time nurse and that rodeo event profits were likely to grow at a snail’s pace. Would she send him packing? He’d had a lot to offer her in those long-ago days. An enviable career. Plenty of opportunities. A good income.
He had nothing to offer her now while she, on the other hand, was on her way up. That was hard for him to take, especially after once having such a successful career.
“Sam.” He reached an arm through the fence railings and patted Big John’s nose. “You have more than enough talent to win. You don’t need me. But you need Ronnie, she’s the best teacher and trainer around. You also need your parents and younger brothers, because no one loves you more than them. And you need the Hartmans. You haven’t known them long, but they’re also family and want what’s best for you.”
Sam made a grumpy face. “My parents haven’t seen Ray since I was a baby and they sure haven’t met my sisters.”
“I’d say rooting for you at Nationals is a good place for them to get acquainted.”
“Maybe you’re right.”
“Happens every once in a while.”
“Thanks, Nate.” She smiled. “I’m really glad you’re here. I hope you stay.”
“We’ll see.” He gave Big John another pat. “Why don’t you take this fellow on another spin around the arena and let me get a good look at that leg in motion.”
While Sam did as he instructed, Ronnie finished with her call and came over to where he stood. Her expression radiated pure joy. At first, Nate thought he might be the reason, especially when she gave him a big hug.
He was wrong, however. Her excitement had nothing to do with him or them.
“I have news!” she exclaimed. “That was the president of the East Valley Can Chasers. They’re a club of junior rodeo barrel racers from Scottsdale. They want to hire me and are willing to pay good money. I mean, good money, Nate.” She hugged him again. “This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for. With the Can Chasers, my school is really going to take off.”
Nate summoned a happy smile for her. It wasn’t easy. On the inside, he felt hollow and empty.
Chapter Twelve
Ronnie was aware she babbled too fast to be fully understood. She couldn’t help herself, she was so excited. Nate asked her more than once to repeat
herself, and Ronnie forced a calming breath into her lungs.
“The Can Chasers want me to give lessons one night a week at a private rodeo arena they use in north Scottsdale. From six to nine. And to give Saturday clinics every three months. If I can attend any rodeos with them, they’ll pay me extra for that.”
“What about the Poco Dinero barrel racing? Won’t this interfere?”
“No, not at all,” she assured him.
“But you said the Can Chasers want you to attend rodeos and give clinics.”
“It won’t be a conflict. Not at first.” She waved away his concerns, though they were somewhat valid. “We’ll iron out all the details on Wednesday. That’s when I’m meeting with the president of the club and some of the parents.” She let out an exuberant laugh. “I might have to hire an attorney. They’re requiring me to sign a one-year contract. That’s a little intimidating in case things don’t go as expected. Good, though, because I’ll have guaranteed income. Did I tell you they’re willing to pay a lot?”
“What about Nationals?” Sam asked, leaning forward over Big John’s neck, a disgruntled frown on her face. “We’re leaving Wednesday.”
“The meeting’s in the morning.”
“You said we needed to be on the road no later than nine.”
“Relax, Sam. We’ll make up the time along the way.”
The teenager’s frown turned sad. “Nate’s not going with us. He says he has to work.”
“Okay.” Ronnie would have liked for Nate to accompany them but understood his reasons for remaining behind. In fact, she had enlisted his help in overseeing the barrel racing Saturday afternoon. “It happens. Work’s important.”
“So’s Nationals.”
“There’s always next year,” Nate said.
Ronnie’s gaze went from one to the other. They were both considerably underwhelmed by her big news. Granted, it wasn’t life changing, but a contract with the Can Chasers would make the difference between Ronnie keeping her rental house and having to find a roommate. Or, worse, having to move back home with her dad and Dolores.
More importantly, the potential to grow her fledgling business was tremendous. The Can Chasers’ reputation for excellence extended throughout the entire southwest. As someone associated with the organization, her reputation would benefit.
The Bull Rider's Valentine Page 16